Erik Wøllo is an architect of poignant, ethereal and elegant electronics, a poet of ambient atmospheres. This 15th anniversary remaster of his classic Gateway includes a bonus disc with eight additional unreleased tracks mostly from the 2010 era. Known for highly lyrical and vivid sonic spaces, Wøllo’s 14th album bridges grand harmonic realms and gentle, serene environments.

John Diliberto of Echoes Radio wrote back in the day, “Celestial evocations inspired by the night skies in the land of the midnight sun. It’s hard to resist picking an Erik Wøllo album as a CD of the Month…. On his latest, Gateway, there’s no denying the way he sends you piloting down canyons, soaring between mountains and launching on trajectories somewhere toward the heavens… One of the most distinctive voices in contemporary instrumental music... Step through Wøllo's Gateway and you’ll see his world revealed.”

To create the remastered edition, Wøllo went back to the original stereo digital mixes, running them through analog equipment and the latest high resolution plug-ins. Showcasing amazing depth and clarity, the remaster has an enhanced sound: a more detailed, transparent and wider audio spectrum with greater sonic cohesion.

Erik says, “It was very exciting to revisit this album. So many memories from 2010, almost like looking through old photos from the past. I could not have done this music any better today, but the remastered version gives a more exact feeling of what I was trying to do at that time. The bonus disc includes 8 previously unreleased tracks. A couple are brand new, some are from the same period as Gateway, and a couple are tracks from the late '90s I brought back to life using MIDI data to control the same equipment I used at that time. I have kept all my synthesizers from these periods; it was a joy to fire them up again. All these bonus tracks are remixed from old multi-track and the original MIDI files.”

This sparkling remaster is a luscious work, kindling feelings of nature inspired by Wøllo’s Norwegian homeland. Created over two years in the late aughts, Gateway is a fine-tuned collection of carefully crafted compositions. The melodic guitar work and expansive electronics create evocative passages that combine intense and serene moments with masterful performances.

Wøllo reflected at the time of the album’s release, “There is always a meditative attitude, recollections from dreams and reality suggesting the mysterious. Every artist has their own unique inner landscape that emulates where they were born and raised, influencing the creative expression. By reflecting all the different kinds of music that you have been hearing through your lifetime, Gateway is a mirror of time.”

Matt Rowe from Music Tap: “It’s so refreshing to hear such grandly orchestrated music in the ambient framework that the first spin of Gateway should have fans of ambient compositions completely in thrall to Erik Wøllo… No matter your preference, Wøllo’s new album is the key to multiple dreamworlds. It also unveils an extraordinary talent, one that draws on the influence of the masters of the past, yet crafts music that is uniquely his own, music that will etch Wøllo into your mind as one to be enshrined with those same masters. Immeasureably recommended!

Chuck van Zyl from Star’s End: “Bypassing verbal thought, connecting directly with the mind, his fluid lead melodies speak, as if in a voice, directly to the listener. Wøllo uses guitar as the primary instrument in which to convey his message… From stark simplicity to prog-influenced anthems Wøllo’s spirit comes out in the precision and detail of his work – as it touches the best part of us.”
 
2CD in 6-panel Digipak
Erik Wøllo | Gateway | 2025 remaster | 2CD